CPA pleads guilty in tax fraud case

A Wayne County man pleaded guilty to tax charges filed by the North Carolina Department of Revenue Monday in Wake County District Court, officials said.

Jerry U. Britt, a self-employed certified public accountant from Mount Olive, pleaded guilty to two counts of willful failure to file his individual tax returns. Britt's wife, Angela, was also charged, but had hers dropped in exchange for her husband's guilty plea.

Mrs. Britt, principal of E.E. Smith Middle School in Kenansville, and her husband were originally charged for failure to file state individual tax returns for 2001 through 2004.

Wake County District Court Judge Kristin Ruth sentenced Britt to a 90-day prison term. The sentence was suspended and Britt will serve 12 months on supervised probation instead of the jail time. He was also ordered to complete 96 hours of community service and pay a $400 fine.

The charges resulted from an investigation by the Department of Revenue.